WP Builds

In this episode, Nathan Wrigley chats with Dave Foy about his journey from classroom teaching to creating online WordPress courses. Dave discusses the challenges of keeping tech courses up-to-date, the struggle with perfectionism, and why traditional self-paced courses often don’t deliver the best results. He shares his recent shift to a live cohort-based teaching model, which encourages action, community, and accountability, ultimately leading to better student outcomes. The episode is full of insights on educational methods, tech teaching, and personal growth. Go listen...

This episode kicks off the new year with reflections on WordPress’ most-read news of 2025, covering both community achievements and challenges. The conversation explores resolutions, AI-powered tools for WordPress and app building, plugin submission issues, and the evolving role of AI in web development. Updates touch on upcoming WordPress releases, event schedules, and initiatives like the Zeel Memorial Scholarship, all while highlighting the importance of collaboration, innovation, and maintaining a positive, supportive community.

Rae Morey, a seasoned journalist and publisher of The Repository, dives into the latest happenings in the WordPress ecosystem. She discusses the innovative features of WordPress 6.9, including collaboration capabilities and AI integration. Rae sheds light on the ongoing trademark disputes involving the WordPress Foundation and offers insights into the significance of the AI Experiments plugin. The conversation rounds off with a recap of WordCamp Canada’s success and the future direction of Jetpack. Tune in for a comprehensive overview!

Join Nathan Wrigley, Michelle Frechette, Courtney Robertson and Jesse Friedman. This episode covers highlights in the WordPress community, including upcoming events like CloudFest Hackathon, the Open Source Experience conference, and CMSConf. The panel discusses the release of WordPress 6.9, early planning for version 7.0, and new plugins. Other topics include the evolution of responsive block editing, the debate around integrating AI as a core component of WordPress, updates to the Global Partnership program, and reflections on Black Friday purchases. The discussion talks about collaboration, innovation, and adapting to emerging technologies while maintaining an open, user-focused approach.

Anne-Mieke Bovelett, a seasoned digital accessibility consultant and web designer, shares her journey leading an award-winning project at the CloudFest Hackathon. She highlights the moral and practical aspects of digital accessibility, stressing its importance, particularly for infographics in medical contexts. Anne-Mieke discusses the creation of an AI-powered WordPress plugin that converts infographics into accessible formats. The conversation also explores the challenges of funding post-hackathon projects and the need for better sponsor involvement in future events.

On "This Week in WordPress #358," Nathan Wrigley, Michelle Frechette, Davinder Singh Kainth and Marc Benzakein discuss the release of WordPress 6.9, including new features like block-level collaboration and accessibility improvements. They cover WordPress community news, ongoing Black Friday deals, trending plugins, and the growing impact of AI. The episode also highlights awards within the WordPress space and the rise of WordPress in non-English markets, especially Asia. The panel shares laughs, personal stories, and their appreciation for contributors driving the platform forward.

In this episode, Nathan Wrigley chats with Dave Grey about Nag Me Not, a plugin and browser extension designed to clean up WordPress admin screens by removing nagging banners and ads. The conversation explores the unique approach Dave is taking to market and sell the tool, partnering with hosting providers and service companies to offer Nag Me Not as a free benefit to their customers, potentially reducing support payloads and enhancing the user experience. They discuss this sponsorship-based model, its benefits for hosts, and invite listener insights on pricing and distribution.

In "This Week in WordPress Episode 357," Nathan Wrigley, Michelle Frechette, Steve Burge, and Marcus Burnette cover a playful Cards Against Humanity Black Friday sale, Michelle’s tech award nomination, and the upcoming WordPress 6.9 release. They discuss the return of a three-release cycle for WordPress, plans for core AI integration, and recent Cloudflare outages. Other topics include WordPress security mishaps, accessibility, PublishPress plugin updates, creating a Wapuu for WordCamp Asia, and the new AI Experiments canonical plugin. The episode blends WordPress news, community events, and lively discussion. Oh, and dad jokes!

In this episode, Nathan Wrigley chats with Jonathan Jernigan about Pie Calendar, a simple-yet-powerful WordPress event calendar plugin. They discuss the plugin’s evolution, including major new features like Eventbrite and ICS calendar integration for easy ticketing and syncing with external calendars. Jonathan also shares insights into his WordPress-focused community and YouTube channel. The conversation highlights Pie Calendar’s user-friendly setup, flexibility for different organisations, and the team’s focus on simplicity. Future plans for additional integrations are teased, as well as stories of how a wide range of clients, from breweries to city councils, use the plugin. Go listen...

In this episode, I'm joined by Taco Verdonschot, Jonathan Bossenger, Birgit Pauli-Haack to discuss WordPress 6.9, including new blocks, performance improvements, accessibility updates, and upcoming live events to help users prepare for the release. The panel pays tribute to WordPress contributor Zeel Thakkar, and covers news about a new leader at Jetpack, Black Friday deals, and community appreciation initiatives. They also highlight developer resources and recent plugin launches, making this a comprehensive update on what's happening in the WordPress ecosystem.